A Defining Moment
by mml005
Summary: A dramatic one-shot explaining the cause of Kuvira's fear of others touching her.


**A/N:** After watching the the Book 4 finale, I realized Kuvira is afraid of anyone touching her, who has yet to earn her trust. There have been some talk about this being the reason why she wears gloves for her uniform. I'm not sure if this is just headcanon, but it was interesting to dive into this story.

Enjoy!

There also are some references to my story _Vulnerability Breeds Weakness, _so feel free to give that a look. This is not a beg for reviews on that piece, but instead a clarification to some details in this one.

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><p>A young Kuvira woke just before the sun started to change the colors of the sky. Her home was still quite dark. A collective slumber spread throughout the house. Little to be known, a small girl would soon be the alarm to disturb the peacefulness.<p>

"Mom! Mom!" Kuvira pushed the door to her parents' bedroom open. Both of her parents were away in deep sleeps. They were facing opposite sides of the room, laying on their sides. Their breathing matched pace in the broken silence. "Mom," Kuvira let the call last a few seconds, nudging her mother's shoulders.

"It's your turn," her mother mumbled, stretching slightly.

"I'm not her mom. That's you," Kuvira's father sighed in his sleep. "Nice try, though."

Kuvira folded her arms and pouted her lower lip, thinking of some other tactic. If calling would not be enough, drastic measures would have to take place. Drastic for a four-year-old. She took a few steps away from their bed, estimating the perfect distance for her small plan to work. Bolting for her target, she jumped onto the bed, and lifted herself up using one of the blankets. She nuzzled her way in between her parents. Kuvira tugged at the shared bedspread, for she needed some of it, too.

Moaning, both of her parents lifted their faces from their own pillows. Her mother's long hair was wild; she tucked it behind her ear for a better look. They faced each other, only to see a small Kuvira imitating sleep. A wide smile covered her face, and her eyes were tightly shut. Her parents looked at each other, not exactly shocked. They both shrugged and smiled at each other.

"She was always a deep sleeper," her mother said as her attention shifted to her daughter in between them. She tucked her young, dark hair behind her ear.

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><p>"I can't do it!"A frustrated Kuvira threw a rock at the ground and pushed her eyebrows together. Her mother never said it, but she was a young girl who had yet to grow into her eyebrows. She had these beautifully large green eyes from the very beginning. However, she also had a pair of thick eyebrows, and they occasionally hid her eyes from the world. Her mother had half a mind to fix them, but refrained from ever doing so.<br>"Honey, it's okay. You'll get it," her mother assured her. It was no use, though. The little girl pouted her lip and was on the brink of crying. Rising to her feet, she picked up the rock Kuvira had thrown. "Give me your hands, Kuvira."

The girl reluctantly lifted her small hands and formed a cup. Her mother nested the rock in her palms, and then held her daughter's hands inside her own. "Now, we're going to do this together, okay?" She smiled as her matching green eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

"Okay," Kuvira made a similar facial expression without realizing it.

"Don't think of moving this big old thing, sweetheart. Earth is made of very small pieces; these pieces create the picture we're holding. Look."  
>The young Kuvira leaned closer to the stone, her eyebrows rising upward. Her large eyes somehow widened with curiosity. "I see them, Mom!" She looked back up.<p>

Her mother giggled and smiled back. "Let's move those little pieces. If you move these, the earth will move, too."

Kuvira's face was overwhelmed in concentration. She bit the corner of her tongue, thinking it would improve her performance. Her animated brows pushed against each other once more. After a few lengthy moments, the stone slowly began to levitate in their hands. "Mom! Do you see? I'm doing it!" The wide smile returned on her face as she stared at the product of her earthbending.

Her mother slowly let her daughter's hand free. "Oh, sweetheart!" She sighed, fighting her tears of joy. Her daughter, her reason for living, had finally discovered her gift.

"Mom?" Kuvira's excitement soon drifted away as worry took over. "What's wrong?"

She closed her eyes, allowing a single tear to fall down her cheek. Inhaling deeply again, she said "I'm just so proud of you, Kuvira." She embraced the girl tightly in her arms. "You did it! I'm so proud of you!" After a few seconds, she whispered, "I love you, Kuvira."

"I love you too, Mom," she replied, snuggling against her mother's soft shirt.

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><p>Both of Kuvira's parents were native Earth Kingdom citizens. Both sides of the family had roots extending in the nation for endless generations. Like any Earth Kingdomer, they were proud of their heritage. A portrait of the Queen hung on the largest wall in the home. Pieces of Earth Kingdom history, passed down for years, sat on display. While they were surprised to have a small child at the time, her parents both agreed to raise her to be proud of the nation she was born in.<p>

They disagreed on one aspect of her life, however.

Earthbending. Her father was a non-bender, and did not wish his daughter to learn the art. He and Kuvira's mother would often be lost in arguments with each other regarding the subject.

"You cannot deny her of her talents, Hiresh!" Her mother yelled at him.

"Do you know something that I do not?" He said, nearly whispering, as he narrowed his eyes.

"What are you so afraid of? Just because you cannot earthbend, it does not mean our daughter can't!"

"You benders are always lost in your narcissism. I will never let her be absorbed in her own vanity."

"We are trying to teach her to be proud of whom she is, Hiresh! She's_ just_ a child! Telling her she can't be who she could possibly become will only destroy her!"

He looked away from her, frustrated. "Don't act like you live to protect her, Asmara."

"What?" She felt a surge of anger rush through her.

"Oh, did you forget? Allow me to remind you, it was _your_ idea to not have her initially. You told me it was all a mistake. You didn't want to bring her home. Or did that leave your memory, as well?"

Asmara's eyes welled with tears. "I was not ready then," she quietly sobbed. "But Kuvira is my life now. I would never have it any other way. We were young then, Hiresh. I was frightened; there was no way I could raise a daughter. But everything is working out all right."

"Speak for yourself," he turned away from her.

"Mom? Dad?" Kuvira peaked from behind a wall. Her small hands gripped the corner wall as she pulled herself for a better view.

It had not been the first time Kuvira interrupted a yelling match between her parents. Typically, the immense fear in the girl's eyes would be the reason to stop the madness.

"Kuvira," her father slightly lightened his demeanor. "Has your mother been teaching you earthbending?" He said the question almost as if it was a statement.  
>She was excited to tell her father about her newly-discovered talents. But her eyes shifted to her mother, just behind him. Asmara was shaking her head, her face expressing great fear for what was to come. Kuvira stood there in silence, as her eyes widened in terror.<p>

Hiresh noticed his daughter's focus had shifted from him. He looked behind him, catching Asmara in the act. Out of rage, and betrayal, he struck the woman across the face in front of their young daughter.

"Mom!" Kuvira cried, watching helplessly as her mother was unable to fight back.

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><p>A few weeks had passed after that day. No matter how long she begged, her mother painfully refused to continue their teachings. It was not her decision. Asmara could not risk the possibility of Kuvira's father finding her earthbending.<p>

"Please, Mom?" She would follow Asmara around, pulling at the bottom of her shirt.

Asmara sighed. She hated seeing her daughter like this. She had the potential to do great things. Only denying her of her own gift would achieve what the mother was afraid of. "Not today, sweetheart," she would regretfully state.

"But, why?" The young girl would press on.

"Kuvira, please!" Asmara very seldom had to be stern with her. Sighing, she knelt down so she was closer to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you," she tucked Kuvira's growing hair behind her ears. She delicately held the girl's face in her palms. "I have to leave for a short while, sweetheart. But I'll be back soon. I promise." Hugging the girl, she whispered, "but when I get back, we can practice a little more."

Kuvira watched as her mother closed the door behind her. Why had their practicing stopped all of a sudden? Whatever the reason may be, she was thrilled practicing would start again soon. She wanted to find her father to tell him the good news.

"Daddy!" She exclaimed when she found him, reading in his chair. His glasses were narrowed on the bridge of his nose. Looking upward, the girl was already at his side, beaming with happiness. "You'll never guess what Mom just told me!"

He slowly closed the book. He removed his glasses and placed them on the small table next to him. "Please, Kuvira. Do tell me what your mother said. I'm dying to know."

"We're going to start earthbending again, Daddy!" Her smiled radiated happiness and exhilaration.

Hiresh growled as his palm whipped against the girl's face. "I told you that you were not to learn earthbending!" He struck her again. "Just because your mother is an earthbender, it does not give you the right to learn it!" Again, right to the eye. "I was never given the opportunity to learn it, why should you?!"  
>Kuvira's young life flashed before her eyes. Her protector, her father, without reason had turned his own hands against her. She screamed for her mother to return, to whisk her away. "Daddy, please!" She sobbed, attempting to escape him. No matter how much she begged, how heart-wrenching her cries were, Hiresh would not stop unless he knew the lesson was finally learned.<p>

Asmara later walked through the front door of her eerily quiet home. She looked from side to side, for Kuvira would normally be running into her arms by now. The lights had been turned low. Shadows stretched onto the walls.

"It's about time you got back," Hiresh walked into the light, cracking his knuckles.

Asmara glared at him. Something was not right. "Where's Kuvira?" Her voice was dark yet worrisome.

He half-smiled at her. "She won't be learning that earthbending from you any longer. I thought I made that clear."

"What did you do?!" She cried, pushing him aside. Tears streamed from Asmara's eyes and she bolted for Kuvira's bedroom door. She metalbended the doorknob open, entered as quickly as she could, and then locked it behind her. Expecting to find nothing except an empty room, Asmara's heartbeat pulsed throughout her body as she searched for the girl. Time seemed to move at half-speed as fear for the worst struck her.

"Mom?" A timid Kuvira emerged from behind a closet door. The girl shook with horror as she revealed her hiding place.

Asmara's heart dropped. The beautiful daughter she knew was stricken black and blue. Tears fell down her young, now red face. Her typically well-kept hair was knotted, almost as if Hiresh had tried pulling it all. Kuvira's bright eyes were dimmed under the sobs and the newly-forming bruises began to swell her otherwise thin face.

"Kuvira, sweetheart, you're all right!" Asmara whispered out of relief as she ran towards her.

The young girl retreated back into the closet from fear. Her cries became louder. Hitting the wall of the closet, she sat with her knees up in an attempt to hide.  
>Asmara paused, realizing what the result of the twisted actions had caused. Kuvira was now terrified of anyone approaching her. Anyone, even her own mother was seen as a powerful threat. "Sweetheart, I won't hurt you. I promise." She felt a pain in her heart at this promise; her previous one had started all of this.<p>

Kuvira remained in her spot, shaking. Her mother offered a hand slowly, palm facing up. Hesitantly, the girl rose to her feet and ran to her mom. She did not speak. Her hysterical sobs filled the young lungs. Asmara embraced her, tighter than ever before. She ran her hand against the child's messy hair, in an attempt to soothe her.

"I'm so sorry, Kuvira," her mother cried with her. "You are so courageous, sweetheart."

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><p>Asmara and Kuvira managed to escape Hiresh's grasp through some unexplainable miracle. Asmara was able to pocket as much money as possible, as well as a few survival belongings. The two found a bullet train and decided to ride it as long as they could. It would be able to take them further away than what was imaginable. They were finally safe. Together.<p>

The train was a seamless ride; for the foot traffic on it, it was relatively quiet as well. They sat together, attempting to forget the recent events. It was an impossible mission, but any effort was more beneficial than none.

Kuvira focused on nothing in front of her, dozing off. Her lip quivered as quiet tears fell. A bluish handprint stained her arm. Curious, she took her opposite hand and tried erasing it.

"Sweetheart, no. It'll only hurt worse," Asmara spoke softly, moving her hand to deflect the child's actions.

Kuvira shouted with fright, leaping out of her seat and away from her mother. She folded her arms, trying to cringe as far as away she could. Her mother was frozen, hand in midair. It finally made sense. The girl was terrified of any sudden movement towards her. The slightest touch triggered her fear, which would ultimately define her. Trying think of a possible solution, anything at all, Asmara searched in one of her bags. She pulled a pair of black leather gloves. They would most definitely be too large for her small hands, but it was worth a try.

"Sweetheart, if you ever feel afraid like this, these magical gloves will help you. They will not let anyone hurt you again."

Kuvira wiped her tears, getting a better view of the gloves. Her mother slowly, and patiently, offered one of them. She slipped her small hand inside, and she began to feel safer.

"When you are ever frightened, put your hands inside these magical gloves. You'll be protected from whatever you are afraid of."

Both gloves were on. Kuvira looked from her new form of safety back to her mother. The smile Asmara missed terribly had finally returned, and Kuvira hugged her tightly.

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><p><strong>AN:** Be sure to rate and review (:


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